Although it is much disputed and not always popular,
vegetarianism is a very positive and productive dietary plan.Eating vegetarian is considered by many to be
very healthy. The balance of nutrients is well rounded and all the
requirements for a balanced diet can be easily met. On average,
people who adhere to a vegetarian diet live longer than those who
do not. The risks of heart disease and certain types of cancer are
greatly reduced by following a vegetarian diet.

When choosing between following a vegetarian
diet and a meat inclusive diet, there are many different factors
to be considered. Once of these is the quality of meat available
in most supermarkets. Unless frozen, meat does not have a very long
shelf life and begins to go bad soon after being made available
for sale. In comparison, raw vegetables will keep twice as long
as raw meat. Another factor to consider is preparation. Raw vegetables
can be eaten. Raw meat cannot. Raw meat must first be cooked at
a minimum safe temperature for a certain period of time before it
can be safely eaten

Cost effectiveness is very important to consider
when choosing a diet plan. Excluding meat will reduce the average
grocery bill by approximately on third. Compared to vegetables,
meat is extremely expensive. For the cost of one 12 oz. Steak, you
can buy enough food to make salad, stir-fry, and bread for three
people.

When many people think of a well-rounded diet,
they think of the four food groups: breads and cereals, dairy products,
fruits and vegetables, and meats and fish. Vegetarianism only excludes
meats and fish and still provides for a well-rounded diet. Much
of the protein and nutrients found in meat can be found in vegetarian
foods such as beans and grain.

A large-scale comparison that can be made of
vegetarianism and a meat inclusive diet is the amount of land used
for the production of animals vs. the production of crops. The same
amount of land needed to graze cattle can produce approximately
twenty times the amount of plant crops. Crops are also much less
expensive to grow and maintain compared to the cost of producing
animals.

On a global scale, much could be done about
the problems of world hunger by devoting more resources to crop
production. A 300-pound cow will not feed nearly as many people
as 300 pounds of grain and vegetables. As mentioned, not as much
land is needed to produce crops as is needed for animals.

Many people who consider vegetarianism do so
for humane reasons. The treatment of animals is often very inhumane
on cattle ranches, chicken and pig farms, and other production facilities.
Animals are often manipulated in many ways to force them to mass-produce
more food. Chickens are physically manipulated to make them produce
more eggs. Milk cows are forced to produce more milk. Many animals
are injected with steroids, hormones, and other drugs to make them
grow bigger so that more meat can be produced.

While there are many advantages to a vegetarian
diet, there are also disadvantages. Most restaurants have very little
if any vegetarian options on their menu. Practically none offer
many vegetarian entrees. Close diet monitoring is important. You
must make sure you get a good variety of items in your diet, especially
things that are high in protein. Many organic products are hard
to find. When they can be found they tend to be expensive because
the current demands for them is not very high. Politically, vegetarianism
is very left wing and not very popular is mainstream society. It
is often frowned upon as if vegetarians are doing something others
are not even though there is very little in a vegetarian diet that
is not also in a meat inclusive diet. This is due, I think, in large
part to the unfounded idea that vegetarianism is associated with
radicalism.

Some of the spin-off concepts of the vegetarian
diet are the vegan diet and the fruitiverous diet. A vegan diet
excludes anything that is an animal product or by-product. Most
people who choose the vegan diet are doing so from the animal rights
standpoint regarding the treatment of animals mentioned earlier.
In todayís political climate, this type of diet is gaining
popularity. The fruitiverous diet is a diet that excludes everything
but fruit and fruit juices. This type of diet is very unhealthy
if followed for an extended period of time and is generally only
used for a short period of time by those who are looking to lose
weight.

A healthy, cost effective, and productive diet
is something everyone who likes to take care of themselves strives
for. Whatever your reasons for choosing a particular diet are, a
vegetarian diet will meet your needs in a positive and productive
manner. Bon appetite.